Admission Policies for Graduate Students

Students seeking admission to any of Western’s master’s programs must formally apply for admission with the Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies. Formal admission to a graduate degree program is based on multiple sources of evidence and collegial, professional judgment of program faculty about the likelihood of success. The faculty members of each program consider undergraduate grade-point average (minimum 2.750 on a 4.000 scale), graduate grade-point average (minimum 3.000 on a 4.000 scale), prior professional experience, standardized examinations, portfolios, interviews, letters of reference, and other indicators. Specific admission requirements, including application deadlines, vary depending upon the department offering the graduate degree.

Admission for Non-Degree Seeking Students

Any individual holding a baccalaureate degree who does not wish to pursue a master’s degree may be permitted to enroll in selected graduate courses when approved by the respective department chairperson and the Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies.

Non-degree seeking students may enroll in graduate credits for the purposes of continuing education and professional development (typically courses numbered 500-599).

Admission of International Students

International students seeking admission must submit an application for admission and official undergraduate and graduate college transcripts (translated into English). Applicants must be graduates of undergraduate programs equivalent to similar programs in the United States. Applicants from countries where English is not a national language must have a score of 550 or better on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 213 on the computer-based TOEFL. Applicants must demonstrate by bank affidavit (English translation) that a total sum of $26,349 in U.S. currency is available to cover the costs of each year of anticipated study.

Admission of Provisional Students

An applicant who does not meet the requirements for admission as a regular degree student may be considered for admission to a master’s program as a provisional degree student upon the recommendation of the respective department. Individual department representatives may set their own requirements for admitting students provisionally.

Transfer Credits

Departmental representatives shall determine if graduate classes taken from other accredited institutions can be transferred to the respective Western Graduate Studies Programs. Transfer credits must be listed and approved by the major advisor on the degree plan. Credits transferred must meet the following criteria:

Earned at a regionally-accredited institution

Numbered at the graduate level

A grade of B or above (courses with grades such as pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory are not acceptable.

The course credit must have been earned within the past 10 years unless a department specifies otherwise The maximum number of transfer credits to be applied to degree requirements is nine credits.

Students must request permission to transfer course work and provide official transcripts and course syllabi before or during their first semester of study.